Meet Merge

Merge’s Bio

A unique blend of humor and realism that consistently engages and entertains audiences

Merge Gupta-Sunderji turns managers into leaders. A professional speaker, author, radio commentator, facilitator and consultant since 1988, Merge gives people specific and practical tools to help them achieve leadership and communication success. Tens of thousands of managers in eight countries have participated in her engaging keynotes and facilitated workshops and obtained and practiced the tools to achieve leadership success. Merge’s insights come from first-hand experience. As a leader at one of Canada’s premier oil and gas companies for over fourteen years, and a Board leader at a Credit Union for three years, she offers a unique blend of realism and humor that consistently engages and entertains her audiences!

From the moment she steps on stage your audience will see, hear and know the difference. More than a motivator – Merge takes real-world research and makes it relevant to your organization, combines it with time-tested strategies and delivers the tools, solutions and mindsets your managers need for long-term leadership success. Her contagious enthusiasm turns even the most passive listeners into participants! If your people are tired of “fluff”, then Merge represents the solid alternative: enduring and compelling content, delivered in an engaging style, tempered with humor and realism.

Testimonials

“Merge was the perfect opening keynote to prepare our attendees to develop themselves, keep an open mind, and explore their potential. She set the right tone, pace, and atmosphere to kick-off our two day event of personal and professional development. Very highly recommended!”

— Organization & Human Development CoordinatorUniversity of Waterloo

For almost two years, she was the well-known voice behind the national CBC radio column The Softer Side of Business heard coast to coast across Canada on CBC Radio One. She’s an award-winning published author, writing for many well-known organizations and publications, including the very popular Merge’s Monthly Mega Minute, and a regular column in The Globe & Mail, Canada’s most respected and widely-circulated national newspaper, printed in six major cities from coast to coast across the country. Her first book titled Why Does the Lobster Cast Off Its Shell? is now in its third edition, and her newest book Generations Exposed – Unexpected Insights Into the People You Work With went into its second printing in 2015. She is the author of over 120 articles in a wide variety of publications, and for ten years was the author of a long-running column in CGA Magazine, a professional accounting publication with a circulation of over 75,000. In addition, she has released an entire Leadership Series of educational audio CDs covering off specific challenges and issues of concern to leaders everywhere. The titles range from How to Effectively Manage Off-Site Employees to Overcoming Negativity in the Workplace to Managing Employees with Lousy Performances, Unacceptable Behavior or Rotten Attitudes. And she’s the author of several online learning programs. She is presently working on several new writing projects, including a hands-on practical how-to guide for managers and supervisors.

With over 270 satisfied (and in most cases, repeat) clients all over the world, Merge’s client base is broad and varied. They include numerous professional associations, and mid- to large-sized corporations in the financial, energy and natural resources, and government sectors. For more information about our clients, please see our Client List.

Merge is a proud professional member of the Global Speakers Federation, and holds her Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation. The CSP designation is an international measure of speaking and platform excellence and is awarded only to those accomplished speakers who meet strict criteria and have a proven record of delivering client satisfaction. Less than 10% of the speakers who belong to the worldwide federation hold this professional designation. For four years, Merge also served as an elected Director on the Board of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS).

Many people ask Merge what she used to do before she became a speaker, and the answer often surprises them. Merge is actually a professional accountant, and even though she hasn’t formally practiced accounting for many years now, she still proudly carries the CPA after her name. As Merge sometimes laughs “You can get a girl out of accounting, but you can never really get the accounting out of the girl!”

To learn more (than you probably ever wanted to know) about Merge’s background, you can read a profile done by The Bottom Line Magazine back in January 2005.